Phiona Mutesi

She is best known as the subject of the 2016 biographical movie, Queen of Katwe (2016). The movie is based on Tim Crothers' book, "The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster" published by ESPN in 2012. A chance encounter with Robert Katende when aged nine led to her participating in his Sports Outreach Institute chess program. Katende teaches chess to Ugandan children. It's goal is to empower kids through chess and to inspire a love of the game in one of the poorest slums on the planet. Aged eleven she won the first of three Uganda Junior Girls' Chess Championships and aged fifteen won the African National Junior Chess Open Championship title. Her ascent as an international chess star and Grandmaster candidate has been cited as the ultimate underdog story. She is believed to be born circa 1996 in Kampala, Uganda's capital.